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‘My college could be under attack and I wouldn’t even know about it’

One year on from the WannaCry ransomware attack that crippled many public sector services, George Ryan reports on the implications of funding being pulled for a vital online security service that colleges take for granted

Most colleges in the UK are currently signed up to IT services provided by not-for-profit edtech company Jisc, which offers them a high level of protection against cyberattacks through its Janet Network.

However, from August 2019, the Department for Education says it will reduce funding for Jisc, forcing it to move to a “mixed-funding model” in England. College leaders will have to decide whether to sign up independently to Jisc’s services or look elsewhere for a cheaper, but potentially less secure, service.

This comes at a crucial time – cyberattacks on college computer systems are ...

Funding overhaul for Jisc

The Department for Education has traditionally fully funded the cost of Jisc for FE colleges in England. But following a decision by the government to significantly reduce the amount of funding it provides, Jisc has been asked to adopt a “mixed-funding model” from August next year.

What this means is that its services will be paid for through a combination of government funding and a subscription paid by colleges.

By the time the subscription is introduced in August 2019, the DfE’s grant to Jisc will have shrunk by more than £10 million, or about 40 per cent, since 2014.

Skills minister Anne Milton claims that the mixed-funding model would “increase Jisc’s accountability to colleges and will encourage subscribing colleges to make use of the full range of services that Jisc provides”.

The new charges will only affect colleges in England. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the cost of Jisc will continue to be fully funded by the devolved governments.

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